“It's definitely an honor,” he said. “I had a speaking engagement to do on that same day, but I moved it to do this event. I'm not sure I'm the best person, but I'm appreciative.”

Hartman's foundation supports nonprofit organizations, especially those that help individuals with special needs. He's also the founder of Morgan's Wonderland, a family-friendly theme park designed specifically for individuals with special needs that was inspired by his own daughter, Morgan.

The native San Antonian has enjoyed Fiesta since he was a kid, and said NIOSA is one of his favorite Fiesta events.

“Growing up here, Fiesta is a way of life,” he said. “It's one week where you just hang out and have a lot of fun.”

The Texas A&M University Fightin' Texas Aggie Band returns to the Battle of Flowers parade again this year. The parade is expected to draw some 350,000 spectators, and the Hartmans are putting on a big party on top of one of the parking garages along the parade route for members of the foundation and Morgan's Wonderland.

Singer Vikki Carr served as Battle of Flowers grand marshal 17 years ago, but this year she's doing the job for Flambeau.

“Being that theme is ‘Musical Legends,' I'm so honored that I was asked to participate in this,” Carr said. “That means they consider me a legend.”

El Paso-born Carr has lived in San Antonio full-time since 1993. For more than 20 years, she held benefit concerts to support Holy Cross High School, and in 1971 established the Vikki Carr Scholarship Foundation, which offers college scholarships to Latino students in California and Texas. To date, the foundation has awarded more than 280 scholarships.

“A lot of people think I'm a native of San Antonio because of all the years I came to do the fundraisers for Holy Cross,” she said. “The first time I came here was in 1968 — I must have been about 16 at the time — and I fell in love with the city. I met my future husband here in 1971, got married, and now I feel like I am a native. I don't go anywhere that I don't meet someone who is connected to Holy Cross.”

Carr loves Fiesta, but since she's not very tall, she said being in big crowds like at NIOSA makes her nervous (even though it's her husband's favorite event) and she's afraid of being “baptized by margaritas.”

“The parades are beautiful,” she said. “What I love so much is that even though it's Fiesta it's family-oriented. The kids and the grandmas and grandpas are all there making a day of it.”